E-Commerce in Italy: overview & statistics
Like every year, Idealo presented its report on the state of Italian e-commerce. The company has studied the buying behavior of Italians on the web, as well as the technological and social transformation triggered by e-commerce in the Italian context.
The data made available include statistics on the categories of the most searched for products online, as well as providing indications on the demographic profiles of users and their online shopping habits.
Purchasing habits in 2018
The study is based on data collected by Bilendi, one of the world's leading providers of sampling and market research solutions, which shows that 76% of Italian digital buyers make at least one online purchase per month on average. 19% of digital consumers, the so-called intensive consumers, buy online at least once a week; followed by regular consumers (57%, ie those who buy online at least once a month) and finally there are sporadic consumers (24%) who shop online once a quarter or less.
The investigation shows that the Italian digital market is dominated by regular buyers. One out of two Italian digital consumers buy online at least once a month if not more. It can also be noted that 35% of consumers always consult a price comparator before making a purchase, while another 35% often uses it instead.
The identikit of the Italian digital consumer
In the main European countries most of the online research was carried out by men (59.2% in Italy) while the percentage of women is 40.8%.
It is also interesting to note the demographic data relating to age groups. Italian digital consumers between the ages of 35 and 44 are the ones who buy the most and represent 27% of the total. Following the band that goes from 25 to 34 years (22.4%) and from 45 to 54 years (20.9%).
Mobile dominates e-commerce
The smartphone is used by one Italian consumer out of two for online purchases and for price comparison. The data that emerge from the Italians' buying habits show that 52.5% of users prefer smartphones, 38.9% use PCs or laptops while only 8.6% use tablets.
Regarding the type of device, it appears that 74.6% are based on Android while the weight of iOS is only 23.6%.
The weight of online reviews
Finally, from the Bilendi data it emerges that digital consumers in Italy are very attentive to online reviews and savings opportunities: 93% often read tests or buying guides, while reviews and opinions of other users are read by 90%.
